UNBROKEN PROMISE

~8~ Head of the house

Logan's POV

I stood by the window, my  arms crossed as I watched the sun rise over the eastern edge of  the property. The morning light stretched across the fields, casting a soft golden hue over the land, and for a moment, l felt a sense of peace. This was my life. I’d worked hard to build this farm, and now, with Oma here, things were about to change.

She was already late this mornin' but I decided to overlook it considerin' all this must be new to her and she needed to adjust a bit.

I turned away from the window, my boots scuffing against the worn wooden floor as I moved through the house. I’d spent most of the night thinkin’ about what I needed to say to her—how to explain the way things worked around here. We were married now, and that meant it is my  responsibility to make sure she understands her place. It wasn’t gonna be easy for her, but life on a farm ain’t never easy. She’d learn.

I walked into the kitchen, leanin’ against the counter as I  waited for her to come downstairs. I could hear the soft creak of the stairs under her feet, and I  straightened up, runnin’ my  hand through my hair.

This has to be done, She’s gotta know right from the start.

Oma appeared in the doorway, lookin’ a little uncertain as she stepped into the kitchen. She looked like she had a rough night, she was still gettin’ used to the place, her eyes darting around like she wasn’t sure where she belonged. I watched her for a moment, takin’ in the sight of her. She was small and petite, her shoulders hunched slightly like she was tryin’ to make herself disappear. It tugged at my heart  in a way I wasn’t expectin’, but I pushed the feelin’ aside.

I had a job to do.

“Mornin’,” I  said, my voice steady as I gestured to the table. “Come on and sit down. We need to talk.”

Oma’s eyes widened a bit, and she hesitated for a second before makin’ her way over to the table. She sat down carefully, her hands fidgetin’ with the edge of her dress as she looked up at me. I  pulled out a chair and sat across from her, leanin’ forward on my elbows.

“Now, listen,” I started speaking slow and deliberate , “you’re my wife now, Oma, and that means things are gonna be different for you. I will protect you and provide for you, you don't have to worry about anything. It's my duty to make sure that ya safe and ya ain't lacking a thing. There’s rules you’re gonna have to follow, and it’s my job to make sure you do.”

I watched her closely, waitin’ for her reaction. Her face was pale, her eyes wide as she stared at me. I felt a twinge of somethin’—maybe guilt, maybe sympathy—but I didn’t let it show. This was necessary.

“I’m a firm man,” I continued, “and I don’t take disobedience lightly. If you break the rules, there’s gonna be consequences. And if you step outta line I'll have to discipline you .”

Her face went even paler, and I could see the fear settlin’ in her eyes. She looked like a deer caught in headlights, and for a moment, l almost regretted bein’ so blunt with her. Almost.

She needs to know, I reminded myself. She’s gotta understand how things work here.

“This is the way of life on this farm,” I said, his tone softenin’ just a bit. “I ain’t gonna lie to you—it’s strict. But if you follow my rules, you won’t have any trouble. Do you understand?”

Oma swallowed hard, her hands still twistin’ in her lap, and nodded. Her voice was barely above a whisper when she answered, “Yes, sir.”

I sighed, leanin’ back in my chair as I studied her. She was scared, and that wasn’t a bad thing. Fear had a way of keepin’ people in line, of keepin’ things runnin’ smooth. But there was somethin’ in the way she looked at me, like she was almost too scared to move. That wasn’t what I wanted.

“As long as you follow the rules, you ain’t got nothin’ to worry about,” I said, my voice gentler now. “I don’t enjoy punishin’ anyone, but I will if it’s necessary. Just remember that.”

She nodded again, her face still pale, and I sighed. I didn’t like the way this conversation was makin’ me feel—like I was puttin’ too much fear into her—but it was better to be upfront now than to deal with problems later. I’d seen what happened when a wife didn’t respect her husband’s authority, and I wasn’t gonna let that happen here.

“Good,” I said after a long pause. “Now, let’s go over the rules.”

I watched her as I listed them out one by one—what time she needed to be up, what chores she’d be responsible for, and how she was expected to act around the house. She listened quietly, her eyes downcast as she took it all in. Every now and then, she’d give a small nod, but she didn’t ask any questions.

She’s takin’ it all in, but I wonder how much of it she really understands.

When I finished, I leaned back in my chair, crossin’ my arms over my chest as I watched her. “You get all that?”

“Yes, sir,” she whispered again.

I nodded, feelin’ a bit relieved . At least she wasn’t fightin’ it. That was somethin’.

“Alright,” I  said, standin’ up from the table. “Let’s talk about your chores, everyone got their own part to keep this ranch runnin'.”

"Ya already know where the cleaning supplies are?" She gave me a small nod.

“Those are yours to take care of from now on,” I said, my voice firm. “The house needs to be kept clean. That’s your job now. You’ll sweep, mop, dust—everything. And you’ll make sure the laundry’s done too. I’ll show you where to hang it out to dry later.”

Oma sat in her seat, her hands clasped in front of her as she nodded slowly. I watched her for a moment, waitin’ to see if she’d say somethin’, but she stayed quiet.

“Every mornin’ after breakfast, you’ll start with the kitchen, then on to other chores, hopefully it's not much for ya to handle? ”

She nodded again, her face still tense, but I could see she was tryin’ to keep up with what I was sayin’. I had to admit, she was doin’ better than I’d expected. But there was still one more thing I needed to say.

"I expect you to do your chores properly without slacking, just like everybody else on this ranch does theirs I'm not asking for much am I ?"

Oma swallowed hard, her eyes flickering up to meet mine for a split second before lookin’ back down at the floor. “No.”

"Alright" I said while nodding "If ya need anything you lemme know"
She gave me a nod

I studied her for a long moment, then gave a small nod of satisfaction. I didn’t like the way her shoulders were hunchin’ forward, like she was expectin’ somethin’ bad to happen at any moment, but  hopefully she’d relax over time. She just needed to settle in.

She’ll be alright, Once she gets used to the routine, things’ll get easier for her.

I reached out and gently touched her arm, givin’ her a small nod of encouragement. “You’ll do just fine,” I said, my voice softer now. “Just stick to the rules, and we won’t have any trouble.”

Oma looked up at me again, her eyes wide and uncertain, but she nodded.

"Alright then best you Head in to the main house to help Mama Becca and Megan with breakfast"

I gave her one last look before headin’ toward the door, ready to get started on my morning chores for the day before heading to the main house for breakfast. I had a lot to do, and now that Oma had her instructions, I trusted she’d take care of things inside the house

But as I stepped out into the morning sun, I couldn’t shake the feelin’ that things between us were still far from settled. Only time would tell if she could handle this life—and if I had the patience to help her through it.